Pechanga Arena

Due to the rights to name the arena being sold over time, the arena has changed names:[14]

• San Diego International Sports Arena (November 17, 1966—1970)[15]
• San Diego Sports Arena (1970—March 19, 2005; May 9, 2007—November 12, 2010; December 1, 2018—December 5, 2018)[16][17]
• iPayOne Center (March 20, 2005—May 8, 2007)[18]
• Valley View Casino Center (November 13, 2010—November 30, 2018)[19]
• Pechanga Arena (December 5, 2018—present)[20][21]

From 2004 until 2007, iPayOne, a real estate savings company based in Carlsbad, California, held the arena's naming rights. The deal was worth $2.5 million over five years. In April 2007 the leasing rights holder Arena Group 2000 cancelled the remainder of the contract due to non-payment by iPayOne.[22]

On October 12, 2010, it was announced that the arena's name had been changed to the "Valley View Casino Center", under a $1.5 million, 5-year agreement between the arena operator AEG, the San Pasqual Band of Diegueno Mission Indians and the city of San Diego.[23]

Valley View Casino's naming rights expired November 30, 2018, leaving the arena without an official name until the city council announced on December 4, 2018,[14] that the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, owners of the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, had acquired for $400,000 per year the naming rights to the arena, officially renaming it "Pechanga Arena". The agreement expired in May 2020.[24][25]

San Diego Gulls pregame in October 2015 after renovations with arena in hockey configuration

The arena opened on November 17, 1966, with the San Diego Gulls (then a member of the Western Hockey League) winning their season opener, 4–1, against the Seattle Totems.[12] The Gulls were the arena's first tenant. The San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team would soon join the Gulls on a part-time basis, and continue to play home games at the arena off-and-on to supplement its on-campus, much smaller venue, Peterson Gymnasium. The Aztecs would continue this until 1997, when they opened their new on-campus venue, Viejas Arena.

On October 14, 1967, the NBA expansion San Diego Rockets became the arena's first professional basketball tenant when they played their season opener and first game in franchise history against the St. Louis Hawks, narrowly losing 98-99.[26]

On January 12, 1971, the Rockets hosted the 1971 NBA All-Star Game at the arena.

At the conclusion of the 1970–71 NBA Season, the Rockets were sold and relocated to Houston, Texas. As a result, San Francisco Warriors owner Franklin Mieuli, who was looking for more support for his franchise, decided to make a play for the San Diego market (in addition to the Oakland market, where Oakland Arena had just received a renovation project). Mieuli changed his team's name to the Golden State Warriors for the upcoming season in order to target the state of California as a whole for a fanbase, instead of a single metropolitan area. The Warriors planned to split the season's home games between the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego. The Warriors ultimately hosted just six regular season home games at the San Diego Sports Arena, one each month of the 1971–72 season (October–March). The remainder of the Warriors home games that season were played at Oakland Arena, where the Warriors settled full-time the following season.[27]

As the Warriors returned to the Bay Area full-time after their brief experiment in San Diego, the NBA's primary competitor league, the American Basketball Association (ABA) awarded its first—and as it turned out, only—expansion team to San Diego. Dr. Leonard Bloom (President and CEO of the United States Capital Corporation) paid a $1 million expansion fee to the league to start the team. The San Diego Conquistadors began play in the 1972–73 ABA season, however, they were unable to use the Sports Arena for their first two seasons of existence due to a feud between Bloom and Peter Graham, manager of the city-owned 14,400 seat Sports Arena. The Conquistadors (or "Q's" as they were commonly known locally), played at Peterson Gymnasium on the campus of San Diego State University from 1972 until 1974 as a result of the feud.

In late 1974, the Q's were finally allowed to use the Sports Arena, but their first season at the arena would turn out to be their only full season there. In 1975, the ABA, facing mounting financial difficulties, was rumored to be discussing a merger with the NBA and the San Diego franchise was not to be included. The Conquistadors, freshly renamed the Sails, would cease operations just 11 games into the 1975–76 ABA season on November 12, 1975, when the ABA announced that it was folding the San Diego Sails franchise. The Sails were scheduled to host the Indiana Pacers on that day but the game was not played.

In 1972, the Republican Party considered the arena for its National Convention. With little warning, however, the GOP decided to hold the convention in Miami Beach. To compensate for this blow to local prestige, then-mayor (and future California governor) Pete Wilson gave San Diego the by-name of "America's Finest City",[28] which is still the city's official moniker.[29]

The arena was the host of the 1973 Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton boxing fight, which, by split decision, San Diego resident Norton won.

The 1975 NCAA men's basketball Final Four was held at the arena from March 15, 1975 until the national championship game on March 31, where UCLA was victorious in John Wooden's final game.

In 1978, less than three years after the Sails folded and the ABA's four surviving teams merged with the NBA, the NBA returned to San Diego with the relocation of the Buffalo Braves, which became the San Diego Clippers. In 1981, the Clippers were bought by Los Angeles-based developer Donald Sterling. Sterling, despite failing to gain approval from the NBA to relocate the team to Los Angeles in 1982 and again in 1984, did so anyway following the 1983–84 NBA season, which led to a lawsuit from the league. The team ultimately remained in Los Angeles however, following a counter-lawsuit brought on by Sterling. The franchise has kept the Clippers name despite its reference being to the ships of San Diego Bay.

San Diego has not hosted an NBA regular game since the Clippers departure. The Los Angeles Lakers have played a preseason game at the Sports Arena, with one exception, every non-lockout year since 1996.[30]

In both 1979 and 1981 at the San Diego Indoor Track Meet, Irish distance runner Eamonn Coghlan broke the world record for the indoor mile. A photo of him crossing the finish line appeared around the world including on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Coghlan's time for the 1981 race is still the world record for the indoor mile.[12]

The arena has also benn home of the San Diego Mariners of the World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1977, the San Diego Friars of World Team Tennis (WTT) from 1975 to 1978, the San Diego Sockers indoor soccer team, which won 10 titles in the arena, and other minor professional sports franchises. The San Diego Sockers made their return to the arena in 2012 for their fourth season in the PASL-Pro from the Del Mar Arena.[31] The San Diego Aviators of WTT relocated from New York City prior to the 2014 season and began playing their home matches in the arena.[32] On December 29, 2014, the Aviators announced that the team would move its home matches to the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in nearby Carlsbad for the 2015 season.[33]

The Boston Bruins, whose home ice was of the same dimensions, used the San Diego Gulls as a farm team in the 1960s and 1970s.

The arena also hosted UFC on Versus 2 on August 1, 2010, with former champion Jon Jones headlining the event.[34] The UFC returned on July 15, 2015 for UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee.

In 2015, the Anaheim Ducks relocated their American Hockey League affiliate to San Diego to become another iteration of the San Diego Gulls, using the arena for their home games.[35]

On August 7, 2016, the arena played host to the Arena Football League's Los Angeles Kiss as they faced the Cleveland Gladiators in the first round of the AFL Playoffs. The game was moved to San Diego due to the Kiss' home arena, the Honda Center in Anaheim hosting the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus that weekend. The Kiss would lose to the Gladiators 56–52 in front of a crowd of 4,692.[36] It was the first AFL game ever to be played at the arena and the first arena football game played there since 2005, when the af2's San Diego Riptide played their home games at the arena from 2002 to 2005.

On August 29, 2017, the National Lacrosse League announced that billionaire owner Joe Tsai of Alibaba had been awarded an NLL franchise to begin playing in November 2018 for the 2018–2019 season. The team is known as the San Diego Seals.[37][38]

In November 2018, the Indoor Football League (IFL) announced an expansion team for the 2019 season called the San Diego Strike Force.[39] The IFL became the top level of professional Indoor football in November 2019 when the Arena Football League announced it was folding.

The Stone Poneys played here on January 13, 1968.

Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, and Surprise Package played here on August 10, 1969.

Jimi Hendrix recorded his 13-minute jam version of "Red House" here, on May 24, 1969. The full concert was released in 1991 as part of the Stages box set.

Elvis Presley played here on November 15, 1970, and April 24, 1976. Attendance was 14,659 in 1970 and 17,500 in 1976.

The Grateful Dead played here on November 14, 1973.

The gatefold photograph inside KISS' album, Alive II, was shot here in 1977.

Alice Cooper played here on many occasions and was the venue for his concert film 'The Strange Case of Alice Cooper' in 1979.

The Bee Gees played to a sold-out crowd on July 5, 1979, during their Spirits Having Flown Tour.

ABBA played here during their 1979 world tour.

Bob Marley and The Wailers performed here on November 21, 1979 Survival Tour.

Heart performed here on August 24, 1980. The band's Greatest Hits/Live included a medley of "I'm Down" and "Long Tall Sally" recorded at the show.

Duran Duran played two nights here on April 16, 1984 and April 17, 1984 as part of their Sing Blue Silver World Tour. They played here again July 28, 1987 as part of their Strange Behaviour World Tour, also that night American all-female band The Bangles joined them on stage to sing their hit If She Knew What She Wants. They also played here on February 25, 2005 as part of their Astronaut World Tour when they reformed the band to its original lineup.

The German heavy metal rock group, The Scorpions, performed there during their 1984 World Wide live tour.

Van Halen played two shows on May 20 and 21 on their 1984 Tour; two shows on their 1986 5150 Tour on June 28 and 29, 1986; a show on their 1988 OU812 tour on November 19, 1988; two shows on their For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour on May 1 and 3, 1992; and finally on their 1995 The Balance "Ambulance" Tour on April 2, 1995.

Dio performed during their Sacred Heart Tour on December 6, 1985. The show was recorded and later released as a live album, entitled Intermission.

Bon Jovi played a sold-out show on January 16, 1987 on their Slippery When Wet world tour.

Janet Jackson has performed six concerts at this venue. She performed a sold-out show on April 23, 1990 for her Rhythm Nation Tour. She returned to the venue on February 24, 1994 for the Janet World Tour, another sold-out show.[40] She performed sold-out shows for her The Velvet Rope Tour and All for You Tour.[41][42] She came back on September 20, 2008 for her Rock Witchu Tour.[43] She played a date here on October 7, 2017, during her State of the World Tour.[44]

Metallica performed two consecutive shows, during their Wherever We May Roam Tour, on January 13–14, 1992. The shows were recorded and later released on VHS/DVD, entitled Live Shit: Binge & Purge on November 23, 1993.

Nirvana performed during their In Utero tour on December 29, 1993.

Diana Ross was scheduled to perform during her Return to Love Tour on August 2, 2000, but the show was cancelled, due to low ticket sales.

Tina Turner was scheduled to perform during her Twenty Four Seven Tour on December 2, 2000, with Joe Cocker as her opening act, but the show was canceled.

Britney Spears opened her 2004 Onyx Hotel Tour.

U2 performed at the venue for the first two shows of their Vertigo Tour on March 28 and 30, 2005.

Lady Gaga performed at the arena on December 19, 2009, during her Monster Ball Tour.

Eric Clapton performed at the venue on March 15, 2007, with special guests JJ Cale, Doyle Bramhall II, Derek Trucks, and Robert Cray. Nine years later, Clapton released audio and video/DVD recordings of the show in honor of Cale who died in 2013 on the live album Live in San Diego.

Madonna played a date here on October 29, 2015, becoming her first-ever performance in the arena, during her Rebel Heart Tour. The show sold 10,500 seats and grossed over $1.6 million with ticket prices ranging from $50–355, becoming one of the most expensive concerts.

Muse played a date here on January 7, 2016, on their Drones World Tour.

Jason Aldean played a date here late in 2016, on his Six-String Nation Tour, with Kid Rock as his opening act.

Justin Bieber played a date here on March 29, 2016, as a part of his Purpose World Tour.

Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, and Willie Nelson played a date here in September 2017 as part of their Outlaw Music Festival tour.

Lana Del Rey performed at the venue on February 15, 2018, as part of her LA to the Moon Tour, with support from Kali Uchis.

Slayer kicked off their final tour here on May 10, 2018, with support from Lamb of God, Anthrax, Behemoth, and Testament.

Local radio station KHTS-FM held its annual "Summer Kickoff Concert" at the venue on May 31, 2019. It featured Halsey, Ellie Goulding, CNCO, Bebe Rexha, NCT 127, and five other artists.[45]

Country-pop superstar Carrie Underwood has performed in the arena multiple times, first on October 1, 2010, during her Play On Tour; the second on October 20, 2012, during her Blown Away Tour; the third on September 16, 2016, during her Storyteller Tour: Stories in the Round; and the fourth on September 10, 2019, during her Cry Pretty Tour 360, making her one of the artists with the most performances in the arena.

Tame Impala played the first of their The Slow Rush tour concerts here on March 9, 2020 just prior to the shutdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The arena has hosted several WWE events, including many episodes of Raw and Smackdown, some ECW episodes, one episode of the original NXT, many House shows (live events), Vengeance (2001), which saw the unification of the WCW Championship and WWE Championship, Taboo Tuesday (2005), and One Night Stand (2008).

The 2011 version of Wrex the Halls was hosted here over two days with headliners Florence and the Machine and Blink-182 headlining respective nights. Both nights were sold out.

The arena has also been home to events of the original Roller Games league, featuring its flagship team, the Los Angeles Thunderbirds, as well as the alternating Roller Derby leagues of the time, featuring their flagship team, the San Francisco Bay Bombers.

The arena hosted Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live in 2019.

The exterior of the arena and its parking lot are featured in an early scene of Cameron Crowe's 2000 film, Almost Famous.